Drought reaches Wilpattu as wildlife authorities truck in water to save animals

By The Pulseline News Desk

Sri Lanka’s prolonged dry spell has now begun to take its toll on one of the country’s most important wildlife sanctuaries, with authorities at Wilpattu National Park launching emergency measures to ensure animals have access to drinking water.

Wildlife officials have started transporting water by bowsers to fill specially constructed concrete waterholes in parts of the park where natural reservoirs are rapidly drying up, highlighting the growing environmental impact of the prevailing drought.

Park Warden R.D.D.D. Samaranayake said the emergency operation is currently focused on the eastern sector of Wilpattu, where water levels in the Maradanmaduwa, Persibedda and Kukulkatuwa tanks have been steadily declining.

As these natural water sources shrink, officials have begun pumping water into concrete ponds strategically located within the park to provide elephants, deer, leopards, sloth bears and other wildlife with reliable access to drinking water.

The intervention is aimed at preventing animals from being forced to travel long distances in search of water, a situation that can increase stress, intensify competition among species and potentially heighten human-wildlife interactions near park boundaries.

Despite the worsening conditions in parts of the park, Samaranayake said reservoirs in other sectors of Wilpattu continue to retain satisfactory water levels for the time being.

However, he cautioned that if the current drought persists or intensifies, water availability across the park could decline significantly, requiring broader emergency measures to protect wildlife.

Wilpattu, Sri Lanka’s oldest and largest national park, spans the Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Mannar districts and is internationally renowned for its unique “villu” ecosystem – natural rain-fed lakes that sustain a rich diversity of wildlife throughout the year.

Conservationists note that prolonged dry conditions place increasing pressure on these ecosystems, making timely water management interventions essential to safeguarding the park’s biodiversity until seasonal rains return.